Vraccas
by Vraccas
Summary: A new hero, with self-esteem issues, meets the girl of his dreams...will she help him over come his issues? or drive him further into the depths of depression?


In the sewers of Metropolis, the darkness embraced me like a long lost love. I slunk through the stinky mires, trying not to think about what flowed with the current past my legs, and failing miserably.

I paused at an intersection and looked up at the lights that filtered through a manhole cover. If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd be making a home in the sewers, not because I HAD to, but because I felt I DESERVED it, I would have told that person to go pass out somewhere because they'd obviously had had too much to drink.

I hurried through the intersection, not wanting to run into any of the other new heroes or villains that might be using the sewers. Several minutes later, I paused at a steam valve. It was one of hundreds that lined the sewer walls, but I had a photographic memory and I knew, without a doubt, where I was.

I checked to my left and then to my right. Once I was certain that I was alone, I quickly twisted and turned the knob in a complex combination that only Superman could have followed. I smiled at the thought as a section of brick wall slid back and out of the way. Of course Superman could have followed it; he was the one who had shown me how to do it. I stepped into my base, more of a secret room than anything, and waited until the brick door slid shut again before I even remotely began to relax.

I quickly checked my security system; graciously provided, and monitored, by Oracle, the mysterious voice belonging to a woman I'd never lay eyes on. I curled up in a corner of the room on a mattress that someone from above had decided was worthy of a trip to the trash.

"You're earlier than usual," a female voice said cutting through the darkness.

"I've got a lot of thinking to do, and no place better to do it." I muttered, knowing the artificially intelligent computer in the far corner could hear me.

"What about?"

"That, Oracle, is none of your business." I chuckled. "No offense."

The answering chuckle confirmed what I knew already. "None, taken, big guy," I could hear clacking on a keyboard. "Listen, I know that you've been at this superhero thing a while now, and I was wondering if you'd like to stop by my place for a real face to face meeting."

I lifted my head and looked at the computer console. "Really, a face to face, with you?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm having a few people over and thought you might want to join us."

"Pass." I said immediately. "I don't do group functions."

"I noticed." She said, "you only go to the Watchtower when you need to access the bank, hell, you use the vendors at the safe houses more than you do up there."

"So, then why extend an invitation that you knew I'd decline?"

"Because, Vraccas, you're not the monster that you believe that you are." The answer was given so quietly, even with my advanced hearing, I almost missed it.

"If you only knew," I said, rolling away from her voice.

"Well, it's an open invitation. I'll leave the details in your communicator. It's night after next, so, show up if you get hungry." An almost inaudible click indicated that she'd disconnected the communication.

I felt anger. At first, it was directed at Oracle, but after a few minutes I had to admit that it wasn't her fault, she was only being nice, after all, she didn't know. My anger flared as I turned my thoughts toward the one enemy that had ultimately united the heroes and the villains. The one being that was the root cause of my current situation. Brainiac.

With that name blazing in my head like a neon sign, I finally fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, I woke to a beeping from the computer. I climbed to my feet and strode across the room, my thermal vision allowing me to avoid the few pieces of furniture I had brought down here. I pressed a button and the screen lit up showing me Superman's well chiseled features.

"Vraccas, you're needed in the Tomorrow District, Giganta's back and raising all kinds of trouble."

I nodded, "On my way."

"Good, I'll let Wonder Woman know. She's already on site, but she needs the back up." He cleared his throat. "Listen, Vraccas, afterwards, I'd like to talk to you in the Watchtower."

My guts immediately tightened up. "Yes, sir, I'll let you know when I'm aboard."

He nodded and the image disappeared. I quickly stripped out of my 'normal' clothes and donned a set of armor that I liked to call my Demonic armor. After checking my surveillance cameras to ensure that no one was lurking around, I opened the door and slipped out.

Ten minutes later, I was standing atop a building in the Tomorrow District looking down at the head of Giganta, which was only thirty feet below me. The giant was focused on a blur of red, blue and yellow around her legs and another blur of orange and blue that was retrieving bystanders and moving them out of the way of the battle.

I sighed and jumped. After I left the rooftop, I curled up into a ball and dropped straight down. At the last possible second, I extended my legs and drove myself down at the top of her head. With a grunt, she staggered and then fell, barely missing several buildings, but ultimately ending up in a park.

I landed next to her and rolled to a stop at the foot of the Amazonian member of the Justice League.

"Vraccas," she said with a smile. "It is good to see you again, my friend." She extended her hand and helped me up. The orange and blue blur landed next to Wonder Woman and I got my first clear look at the source. It was a woman, almost blindingly gorgeous, as tall as Wonder Woman and who held herself with no less pride and confidence. "This is my new apprentice, SuperSafety."

The newcomer held out her hand, and I took it gingerly. The handshake was firm, to my surprise, and I was suddenly very glad that I had chosen the armor that I did. The last thing I wanted was to show this woman, this goddess in mortal form, my true appearance.

"SuperSafety, this is the mighty warrior Vraccas," Wonder Woman said. "In the year or so that he has been among our ranks, he's already bested Lex Luthor, Sinestro, and even Trigon himself."

"You're being too kind," I said. "I was merely support for the real heroes: Superman, Green Lantern, and the Titans."

"And you're not giving yourself enough credit." She admonished softly. "But, you're as humble as we've come to expect, my friend." She indicated Giganta who was snoring loudly. "And again, you have earned my gratitude."

I waved of her thanks. "I'm still paying you back, all of you, for the years you've put your lives on the line for our world. Listen, I've got to get to the Watchtower, if you ever need me again, just call." I pushed a button on my communicator and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I found myself in the Central Hub of the League's satellite base of operations.

As I stepped away from the transporter pad, a figure in red and blue slowly descended toward me from the legendary Hall of Justice. As Superman touched down, I withdrew into a darker corner of the room.

Superman followed me, "Vraccas, I'd like to discuss the invitation that Oracle extended to you."

"Really?" I was dumbfounded. "You called me up here to talk about a dinner party that I have absolutely no intention of going to." I shook my head. "Sometimes, you astound me. And that's saying something, considering everything I've done since I woke up."

"We're just concerned, that's all."

I sighed and stood straight. "Listen, I appreciate it. Really, I do. But, I cannot expose anyone to this," I waved my hand in front of myself, "I just can't."

"Considering your hostess, trust me, she's seen worse."

I nodded, "I can believe it, but…" I let the thought trail off.

Superman nodded, "You're not ready yet."

"Exactly."

Just then Martian Manhunter flew in from the Monitor Womb. "Superman, Vraccas, we have a situation."

A few minutes later, Superman and I were joined, in the Monitor Womb, by Wonder Woman, SuperSafety, and 2 other new heroes I was unfamiliar with.

"Vraccas, I understand you've already met SuperSafety," Superman said, he nodded toward the other newcomers, "this is Drizzella, one of Batman's apprentices, and Mister Maxim, another one of my apprentices." I shook hands with the new comers and then focused my attention on the briefing.

"Braniac is sending troops into Area 51 in an attempt; we believe to gather some of Cadmus's research concerning Kryptonite."

At this last word, I perked up and, I was pleased to note, so did Mister Maxim. What surprised me was that SuperSafety appeared as interested as Mister Maxim and I.

"We need you four to transport to Area 51 and stop them." Martian Manhunter said, effectively ending the briefing. Us four apprentices turned and walked toward the nearest transporter pad.

After we left, Clark looked at his two closest friends. "Are we certain that this is a good idea?"

"He needs to learn that outer appearance is not everything." J'onn said.

"And she will help him with that lesson." Diana said. "And, on top of everything else, she's expressed an interest in working with him."

"I will monitor their progress," J'onn said as he turned his attention to the console in front of them, "In the meantime; Metallo is paying a visit to Metropolis' Historical District and Cheetah is tearing up Suicide Slums."

Superman looked at Wonder Woman, "Let's go to work." A second later, J'onn was alone.

An hour later, we arrived back at the Watchtower, each hotter and smellier than we were when we left.

"Well, I'm off to wash off the stink of the New Mexico desert." Drizzella said her once smooth feminine voice now rough and coarse from yelling, both at Braniac's minions and to her teammates.

"I as well," Mister Maxim said. We exchanged handshakes and went our separate ways, Mister Maxim, Drizzella, and Super Safety to their probationary quarters, and I, tapping a button on my communicator, to my hole in a sewer wall.

I stripped off my Demonic armor and turned a knob on the wall. A deluge of cold water poured out of a pipe and washed over me, almost instantly turning into steam as the water evaporated off of my skin. After a few minutes, I turned the water off and let my internal fire dry my skin.

As I redressed in the outfit I'd worn when I woke up in the harvester ship, my communicator beeped.

I tapped the device, "Yes, Oracle?"

"Thought you should know, they're reviewing your Area 51 mission."

I sighed, "Thanks, I'm on my way." I touched the appropriate button and found myself, once again on the Watchtower. I quickly climbed the walls until I was on the balcony outside the Hall of Justice. As I settled down to wait, I found that I wasn't the only one waiting. The other three heroes quickly joined me on the platform, though Drizzella and Mister Maxim were still, or were back, in their costumes and SuperSafety was in normal street clothes.

SuperSafety left the other two and came to crouch next to me. "Good to see you again," she said, "though I almost didn't recognize you without your armor on."

I shrugged, fully aware that I should say something, but my tongue felt like a lead weight in my mouth. I watched through the floor to ceiling windows as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman were watching the mission footage from the Watchtower's camera and listening to Martian Manhunter's play-by-play. For some reason, I had the feeling that they were focused on me and SuperSafety. Or, maybe, that was just hopeful thinking. I felt my heart beat a touch faster and saw Superman glance at me, as if he had heard it, and, who knows, maybe he did. He returned his attention to the video and breakdown.

After it was over, he turned to us and beckoned us in. SuperSafety and I glanced at each other and she grimaced. "I feel like I'm being summoned to the Principal's office," she sighed. "Nothing to it, but do it."

I followed her and the others into the massive room. Batman looked at Drizzella and they walked out of the room.

"Batman prefers to do his mission debriefings in private." Wonder Woman explained to SuperSafety's questioning look.

"So, Vraccas," Superman said. "I want your impression of the mission."

I took a deep breath, stood straight and replied, "It went by the book. Not only did we achieve each objective, but I found several audio files concerning kryptonite."

"And your thoughts?" Wonder Woman asked SuperSafety.

"My only concerns were Drizzella presuming team leadership." She shrugged. "Not that I object, but it was her presumption that she was in charge."

Superman and Wonder Woman glanced at each other, "How about the interactions between the team?"

"Drizzella tried to be everywhere at once," I said, "too unfocused. Mister Maxim, seemed focused on two things, first, the mission and second," I hesitated and glanced at SuperSafety. "he seemed intent on flirting with both Drizzella and SuperSafety."

"Mainly, me," she added, her tone indicated that she had not been amused.

"We've made note of everything you've said." Superman said. "Mister Maxim, nothing to add?"

"No, sir."

"Did you see or experience anything that we need to be made aware of?" This from Wonder Woman.

"Except that Vraccas and SuperSafety made a hell of a team." He said, somewhat chagrined. "I don't think either one of them got hit by enemy fire." He began summarizing how I was there to cover SuperSafety at key points in the mission.

I averted my eyes to the side, pretending something had caught my attention. I hadn't expected anyone to notice that I had deliberately kept to SuperSafety and made sure that nothing touched her.

"And she was just as impressive. I never saw anything like it." Mister Maxim said in closing.

"Thank you," Superman said, standing. "That'll be all." We headed toward the door, but Superman called out just before we reached it. "Vraccas, I need a word with you."

I immediately stopped and waited. As the other two left, I felt a light touch on my shoulder. After the door closed, I turned and looked at the two heroes sitting at the table.

"Vraccas, I wanted to discuss the mission with you in particular." Superman said. "It seems to me that you took unnecessary risks to ensure that SuperSafety didn't get hurt."

I shrugged, "Just looking out for a team mate." I said, ignoring my heart pounding at a million beats a minute.

He nodded, "Wonder Woman, could you excuse us for a minute?"

"Of course," she gave him a look of curiosity as she left the room.

After the door had shut, he turned his attention back to me. "Do you want to tell me the real reason why you protected her the way you did?"

I returned his gaze with one of my own. "She's a teammate," I said. "I was protecting my teammate."

"Then why is your heart beating so fast that not even I could keep up with it?"

I sighed. "That is my concern," I said, feeling the fire in my blood start to simmer. "Not yours."

"When it affects a mission, it becomes my concern." He said, calmly.

"How did this affect the mission?" I asked, probably a little too loudly. "Every mission objective was achieved, all the bad guys put down, and we all got out in one piece."

"It could've been handled more efficiently if you had focused on the mission and not on covering 'your teammate'." He stood and walked around the table. "I understand your desire for privacy, believe me I do, but you've got to have someone to talk to."

"And do you?" I asked. "Have someone that you tell all of your secrets to?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes," he answered. "I do. A couple of people, as a matter of fact."

"And does it help?"

"Sometimes," he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I don't care who you talk to. But, talk to someone."

"Is that all?"

He sighed. "Yeah, that's all."

I turned and left the room. After the door shut, I ran to the nearest teleporter and pressed the button, not caring where I ended up.

I charged through the police station I landed in and through the front door. After I hit the night air, I realized I was in Gotham.

As I started to press the button on my communicator for my home base, I paused and instead pressed another button.

"This is Oracle."

"Hey, is that invite still there?"

"Vraccas? Um, yeah, but the party's not until tomorrow night." She said, seeming a little flustered. "What are you doing in Gotham?"

"Following a friend's advice," I said. "I was wondering," I hesitated. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. Come on over," she said. "I'll mark it on your map."

I looked at the digital map my communicator provided and, noting the direction, took off.

After a few minutes of running down crowded streets, climbing buildings and gliding across open spaces, I found myself at the foot of a clock tower that I had always thought to be defunct. Glancing again at my map, I noted that the entrance was up, so I started climbing the side, letting my reptilian physiology to take over and allow me to cling to the side of the building.

When I reached the top of the tower, I found a woman in a wheel chair waiting next to an open doorway.

"Hello, Vraccas." She said.

"Oracle?"

She nodded. "When I'm off duty, you can call me Barbara."

I crouched on the floor in front of her. "I'm Tony." I said taking my full face mask off and looking at her.

She smiled slightly and extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Tony."

I took her hand and shook it quickly, not wanting to burn her with my internal heat.

"I must confess, Tony," she said. "I was expecting something horrific." She turned and wheeled herself through the door. "C'mon, I'm making tea. Earl Gray okay?"

I shrugged, "I prefer Wu Long tea, but Earl Gray works."

"Oh, a tea aficionado," she said, leading me down a ramp. "I'm impressed."

"Well, my parents were a cultured pair."

"Were?" She moved into a kitchen where a tea pot had just started to whistle.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "They died a couple years ago in a car crash."

"Oh, Tony, I'm sorry."

I shrugged. "So, I was told that it helps to have someone to talk to, not keep things bottled up."

"It does." Barbara poured the hot water into a pair of tea cups and handed me one. "Having someone to talk to is what kept me sane, especially after I lost my legs."

"May I ask how that happened?" I asked as I steeped my tea and took a sip.

"That's a story for another time," She said, "I gather that you have something pressing to talk about."

"Not really pressing, but there is something I need to get off my chest."

"And you chose me." She said in all sincerity, "I'm honored."

I chuckled. "Don't be. There are just some things men don't talk about with each other."

"Ahh," she grinned. "Who is she?"

"Who says there's a 'she' involved?"

"First, there's only one thing men don't talk about with each other: feelings. Now, unless you're gay, there's a woman involved." She took a sip of her tea. "Second, I've watched you since you busted up that harvester ship, and I've never seen you this unsure of yourself. You've taken on demon possessed sorceresses and you never displayed any sort of uncertainty."

"Right now, I'd rather take on Trigon himself." I said, sipping my tea. "Before, in my old life, I had no experiences to prepare me for this."

"You've never had a girlfriend?"

"A couple, but I've never been this…"

"Emotional?"

I nodded. "That's a good word." I took another sip. "Listen, I'm sorry, this is heavy stuff to lay on you on our first official meeting." I set the cup down and grabbed my mask. "I'm just gonna go." I turned toward the ramp, "Good luck with your party tomorrow night."

"Tony," she called after me as I moved up toward the door. "Tony, you can trust me. And I don't care what's going on, but your friend's right. You need someone to talk to."

I paused at the door to put my mask on. I looked down the ramp at her, "Thanks, Barbara." I slipped out the door and jumped over the railing.

A couple of hundred of miles away, at the exact same time as I was climbing Barbara's clock tower, SuperSafety stepped into her apartment in Metropolis.

She looked around the front room as she closed the door with a sigh of relief.

"So, how'd things go?" A female voice asked as she crossed the living room.

"Hey, Sharon," she smiled. "I thought you were on patrol?"

Sharon Blakemore; or Ukofe as she was called when she was on duty, stepped out of the kitchen wearing nothing except a sports bra and a pair of panties. She was carrying a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. "I got the night off." She said as she sat on the couch. "Now, quit evading the question, how did it go?"

Valencia Kamekawa pulled her Green Lantern hoodie off as she joined her roommate on the couch.

"It went okay." She said, "They went over the mission, and the interactions of the team with each other."

"Is that all?"

"Well, Mister Maxim made a big deal of how Vraccas and I worked together."

"Really? Was he jealous?"

Val shook her head, feeling her long black hair sweeping across her bare back. "No, he seemed awe struck."

"So, you worked well together?"

"It felt as though we were one person." Val said. "I thought, he did, and vice versa."

"Really?" Sharon said around a mouthful of ice cream. "Interesting. What did Wonder Woman make of it?"

Val shrugged. "I don't know. We never had a chance to discuss it."

Across the street from the apartment shared by the two heroines, on the roof of an adjacent apartment building, a figure garbed in purples and greens watched the two half dressed friends through magically enhanced eyesight and listened to their conversation through magically enhanced hearing.

The figure smiled with desire as it focused on Valencia. The flawless skin on her back shimmered with a light sheen of sweat, light from their overhead bulbs making each bead sparkle.

"You will be mine, Valencia Kamekawa," the figure whispered. "Oh, yes, you will be mine."

A soft cough and chuckle made the figure spin around, simultaneously cancelling its magic. The figure confronted a woman decked out in gear colored in greens, yellows, and blacks.

"What do you want?" The figure asked.

"Not you, chuckles," the woman said walking past the figure to look at the apartment window that had so riveted the figures attention, "Just checking out my brother's girlfriend."

"Which one?" The figure asked, returning its attention to the window across the street.

"The one with her back to us."

"That's my girlfriend," the figure said through grit teeth. "I'll rip your brother apart and mail the pieces to every major city on the planet." A mystical pink energy enveloped its right fist.

"You'll do no such thing," the woman said. "My brother is mine to destroy." The woman's voice grew hard and cold. "By. Any. Means. Necessary."

"And who, exactly, is your brother?"

"Vraccas of the Justice League."

"You mean the apprentice of that ultimate boy scout, Superman?" The figure asked, astonished. "That fire powered dude that wears the head to foot costume?"

She nodded, "That's the one."

"And, how, if I may ask, do you know that he's your brother if he never shows his face?"

"I've been observing Vraccas since he interfered with Mr. Luthor's plans concerning the Exo-Bytes and Queen Bee." She looked at the figure. "Trust me, he's my brother."

"Well, he had better stay away from Valencia, or he'll end up on the wrong end of my bad attitude." The figure disappeared in a puff of gray smoke.

"Don't worry," the woman said, softly, "by the time I'm done, you'll beg him to be near her." She laughed, "Of course, by then it'll be too late."


End file.
